Bummed Out, Afraid, and a Little Miserable...

It can't be that bad, right? Afterall, this is America. We'll survive. Right? Right?

Take a look at this video. It pretty much captures the feeling in my stomach right now. (It's about two minutes long--watch the entire thing. It is a VW commercial from Holland that never made it on the air because a ghost (or white misty thing) starts following the car. Look really hard when the car comes out of the trees--that's when you first see it. You might be wondering what this has to do with Bush, but trust me, you will understand when you are done.)

So why am I so miserable anyways? I am actually friends with some people who voted for Bush. Talk about closing the political divide! We have some interesting conversations, and often have to bite our tongues. Ulitmately, our respect for each other wins out, and we can be very kind and understanding to each other. But I haven't spoken to any of them since the election. I'm just too sad. I can't muster up the ability to be in the same room with them today. Some people I know voted for Bush over one issue: banning abortion. Others voted for him because he is against Gay marriages. Still others voted for him because they think his cowboy, college frat-boy image is cool. Another girl voted for him because he is against raising the minimum wage ("I refuse to pay $5 for a loaf of bread," she said, "And that is what will happen if the minimum wage is raised." Yeah--but she doesn't mind paying $2.27 for a gallon of gas?) How can we be so similar and yet be so different?

We're talking about fundamental differences here.

Do some of my good friends and I have such stark differences between us that it could affect our friendship in the years to come? Will we be able to love each other when we are standing on opposite sides of the street, holding opposing picket signs?

I've been thinking about slogans for mine:

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, NOT FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS ONLY!

FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR FREEDOM FROM RELIGION! THE CHOICE IS MINE, NOT YOURS!

DON'T YE JUDGE BEFORE REMOVING THE SPECK FROM THINE EYE!

YOU'RE WRONG! GOD IS ON MY SIDE!

GOD SAYS EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!

AMERICA WAS RELIGIOUSLY FOUNDED AND WAS FOUNDED TO BE FREE!

DON'T F^#% WITH FREEDOM!

YOU'LL HAVE TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION BEFORE YOU IMPOSE YOUR FUNDAMENTALIST STATE ON ME!

BACK OFF--THIS IS FREE COUNTRY!

DON'T WORRY, WE HAVE A CHOICE! OR DO WE?


I'm absolutely serious: I'm going to make a sign and walk around with it for the next four years. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. Something has to be done. I'm not going to sit complacently by and watch my country fall to hell in a handbasket.

Yes, the issues are complicated and I'd rather not think about them.

Yes, I'm going to make a lot of people angry.

Yes, I'm going to need to pray for patience every day.

No, I really don't want to be one of those annoying people who have taken a blind stand and cannot be exposed to any semblance of reason.

But seriously, folks, somebody's got to do it. You've got to stand up for what you believe in, because no one else is going to do it for you. And voting once every four years is not really standing up for what you believe in. It's more like whispering behind the privacy of a curtain.

I just want to live in a country where an intellectual is valued over a yeaed-up college frat boy.

I want to live in a country where we aren't mongered with propaganda like "Vote for me or the terrorists will KILL YOU."

I want to live in a country where ALL PEOPLE HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS.

Come on, America. Home of the free will soon loose meaning if we're not really the home of the free. We'll have to change our anthems:

...Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
o'er the land of the-free-as-long-as-you-are-a-fundamentalist-Christian...


...And crown the good with brotherhood (but the only brotherhood that can be is that of people who are just like me!)
from sea to shining sea...


...This land is my land, it is not your land, from the gulf stream waters, to the NY Islands! There is no room for
you if you are different, this land was made for me but not for you!...




PS--Did that video scare you? Ha ha. It made me scream.